The Artists
by ckmono
Summary: One shot, fifty sentences inspired by Demyx and Namine's abilities as Nobodies. Spoilers for Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts II.


_Disclaimer: **Kingdom Hearts I, CoM, and II do not belong to me; they belong to SquareEnix and all other companies associated with this wonderful project. I am merely borrowing.**_

**Author's Notes: **This was posted at livejournal in the 1-sentence theme community as well, inspired by the fact that both Demyx and Namine have powers that focus on the fine arts. Each single word in italics before each sentence is the theme for that sentence.

**These sentences are based on a lot of imagination as to where Namine might have spent her time from the moment she was born, to the end of Kingdom Hearts II. As such, there might be times where the timeline might not match, and if so, excuse me for my inaccuracy.**

**Warning: **Spoilers for the members of Organization XIII, Namine, the events of CoM and what happens directly after that, and the events of Kingdom Hearts II, including the ending.**_

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**_The Artists - 50 Pieces of Memories_**

_Ring_

"I'm not mad, really," Demyx reassured the girl as she glanced back and forth between him and the chimes stand she nearly knocked over, her eyes terrified and tentatively friendly at the same time.

_Hero_

Demyx told Namine that art glorified the subject, "but I think that's the nice bit about it, because if that's how you _feel_ about him, then you must have a heart _somewhere_, so you aren't just some shadow, alright?"

_Memory_

Before Demyx could kick himself for asking such a stupid question, Namine smiled and answered, "No, I don't remember what my drawings were like before this—but art grows from the art before, so I don't need to remember to _know_ it—like you and your music."

_Box_

Namine spent hours drawing a music box from the recesses of an unknown memory, with Demyx on a nearby couch, humming a light melody punctuated by high sitar notes.

_Run_

Only Namine bothered with Demyx's almost-schizophrenic fits of anger when he couldn't get that _feeling_ in his music, but most of the times she did as she was told, bolting out of the room from ferocious water magic animated by their master's fury.

_Hurricane_

A violent, cruel, _driving_ memory crudely filled up one paper after another, flying off the table in disarray as she tore them methodically out from her sketchbook; and Demyx, at the doorway, wondered whose memory-eyes she saw the destruction of the Islands with.

_Wings_

Demyx drew a pair of wings behind picture-Namine, shaded in the sky, and felt his smile promptly disappear when Namine started crying, tore the page out, and kept on tearing.

_Cold_

At night, alone in her white prison high in the Castle, Namine slipped the sheet music, and sang the almost-music notes to herself, a shadowy promise of support she knew Demyx couldn't keep.

_Red_

"Tell Demyx I'm doing fine," Namine replied with an obligatory smile, and turned away, adding red with meticulous care to Sora's clothing, ignoring Axel's disgusted expression.

_Drink_

"Thanks, Namine, though I still have no idea why you're up, or manage to get up at this time—oh, don't smile at me like _that_, you _know_ I get these inspirations at weird times, I bet _you_ do too, you're an artist like me—by the way, you got tea instead?"

_Midnight_

"Leave her be," and after a moment, to Demyx's gentle and slightly smug satisfaction, the scritch-scratch-scritch-scratch-and-tear that woke Larxene up started again.

_Temptation_

"Go—save her from her misery," Saix gloated serenely at Demyx, who stared at the dark portal for a few moments, then drowned the vision of Namine in a furious and _regretful_, _can't do anything and I'm sorry_ column of water.

_View_

"Come on, draw me what you see," encouraged Demyx as Namine started, but the single, lonely flower quickly fell into the hands of the Keyblade Master, and Demyx held her shaking hands to still the crayon as she regained unstable control.

_Music_

The first time she heard Demyx sing, Namine filled an entire sheet of paper with colourful music notes; the first time Demyx saw that picture, he added curvy staff lines, and made a new song as Namine sat by, smiling shyly with a rare twinkle of pride in her eyes.

_Silk_

"Go ahead," Demyx urged gently, and watched Namine pass her hands over one of his water clones' arms, fascinated by the smooth, slippery feel and trying to capture the rippling fibres of their watery overcoats in her pictures.

_Cover_

A flash of fear crossed Namine's eyes as she watched the steamy remains of the water clone at the Headquarter entrance, and her eyes met Axel's hardened ones, telling her _Castle Oblivion starts **now**—you can't be looking to Demyx anymore._

_Promise_

"You said you'd be fine," Demyx finally murmured, just before Axel barged in and announced hurriedly that time was up; Namine watched as they stole out of the Mansion, and lowered her head submissively as DiZ entered the white room, unsuspecting for now.

_Dream_

Demyx pondered Namine's question, "Well, if I can't ever be complete, I'd like to start something—you know, I've got dancers, music, and _you_, you can help me draw promotional posters," he answered, grinning at her sincerely delighted smile.

_Candle_

Tiny water clones clambered up the thin candle at Demyx's command, some tumbling back down, in a comic effort to reach the flame at the top, and to light Namine's shadowy eyes.

_Talent_

Demyx doesn't _really_ have what it takes to complete Organization missions, and Namine wonders if he would understand if she said it was better to _not have_ what it takes.

_Silence_

_Don't ever stop, _Namine remembers Demyx telling her with a hopeful smile, _don't ever let anyone tell you without Sora your drawing is useless, because you're only this step away from being **really** a nobody who doesn't do or have anything—keep drawing, draw how you feel, what you think, and you'll figure out someday, with your drawing, what to **do**._

_Journey_

"You know I'll still fight DiZ—or whatever his name is, that you agreed leave here, this Castle, with," Demyx said conversationally, mirroring Namine's smile—understanding, reluctant, confused, bittersweet, "I'll—make sure he's strong enough, I guess, and if you'll be safe going with him."

_Fire_

"Axel, _stop it_, you _know_ they're different, maybe Namine found a _way_—" Demyx looped his arms tightly around Axel's lunging frame; he didn't look at Namine, and it burned her worse than any chakrams Axel might throw her way.

_Strength_

Demyx told her she was strong, that she drew directly from the power of the Heart of a Being; Namine told Demyx that at least his power was his _own_, not a shadow of someone _else_, and let herself choke in the awkward moment that followed.

_Mask_

Demyx stood proudly, silently like a grand ocean somewhere, reading the assignment papers delivered—suddenly, he turned and smirked, and Namine had the good grace to blush, making him drop his uptight front completely in a mischievous grin.

_Ice_

Namine wondered sadly, if someday, with all the teasing and the criticism and the taunts _you're not strong enough, not competent_, would Demyx freeze, bitter and still, like Vexen?

_Fall_

Namine accepts Demyx's grin, his helping hand, and wonders distantly if he is as manipulative as the rest, if she is being steered towards an imperceptible waterfall.

_Forgotten_

Namine is gone, life goes on at the Headquarter as usual, and the day after she left, Demyx stood by, trying to be nonchalant, watching the Dusk turn her room into a storage room.

_Dance_

As Demyx and his water clones drowned in the frenetic torrent of music, Namine watched, too afraid to try because the emotional, physical _high_ seemed to drive Demyx insane.

_Body_

"That's all we are—people made of droplets of memories, droplets of a heart," Namine murmured, and Demyx smiled bitterly in agreement as a nearby water clone collapsed.

_Sacred_

Remembering was important, and Demyx and Namine, perhaps more than anyone in the Organization, worshipped what the action gave them and despised its godlike tyranny.

_Farewells_

Namine had the great fortune—or burden, as every lie and truth she knew fell useless unless revived by her _own will_—of passing by Demyx's gravestone when it crumbled.

_World_

"Forget about everything else," Demyx heard as he left his room for what his gut tells him is _the last time_, as Namine spoke with melancholic smile, "just for this one time, don't be a Nobody, don't be Number Nine; just be _Demyx_."

_Formal_

"You are out of your place," Xenmas glanced down without moving his head and Demyx stared coldly, haughtily at Namine, who lowered her head and immediately left the room.

_Fever_

Namine's eyes were blazing invisible lines that her hands followed with the crayons, and Demyx, looking over her shoulders, stayed silent with a small, eager smile.

_Laugh_

"You never laugh," Demyx commented casually once, and Namine replied that she didn't have much to laugh about, or laugh _with_—_not like my Other_—so he never asked again.

_Lies_

"Someday," Demyx said hands fisted in determination, looking up at Kingdom Hearts, "_someday_," and Namine smiled more brightly than usual.

_Forever_

"_I won't meet Demyx again," Namine mumbled as she lay on the bed, looking out into the endless dark of the ocean_—and Kairi frowned, turned under the covers and fell asleep again.

_Overwhelmed_

"I told The Superior I didn't want to do it—not today," Demyx answered listlessly as Namine finished wrapping his arm in a splint, her movements tired and sad.

_Whisper_

"Maybe I even love you," Namine mumbled, like saying so was taboo, to which Demyx snorted softly, "Maybe."

_Wait_

_Silly, naïve Namine—Number Nine is not coming back,_ and as the End neared, Namine hoped Demyx found the same release that she would find.

_Talk_

"So you _do_ have a voice," Demyx exclaimed delightedly to the shy, almost anti-social girl, "_and_ I like your name—Namine—it's _original_, and maybe that's saying something."

_Search_

Namine drew pictures of herself with a Heart, trying to make the look in her eyes and the feel of her smile less like Kairi, even though Demyx told her that effect she was trying to achieve was already there.

_Hope_

Sometimes, when they worked together, Namine would draw something so realistic, or Demyx would compose music so moving, that they felt something _beat_ within them.

_Eclipse_

Demyx knew Namine harboured dark fears that his power would lunge into her throat and drown her, and he feared her powers expanding beyond Sora, so she could change the essence of who _he_ was—but when they were with each other, they always smiled.

_Gravity_

"I'll disappear one day," Demyx said to Namine, staring at the water as it swirled into the sink drain, and smiled at her, "but you won't, because memory stays up no matter what."

_Highway_

They hurtled along an incomplete highway towards the end, music blasting on the radio, sceneries flowing by outside the window, with no exits along the way.

_Unknown_

Demyx stared at the girl, deathly pale skin and flax hair, sitting against the wall away from the twilight sun; she stared back, royal-blue peering warily into olive-drab green.

_Lock_

"Not now, Demyx," Namine said from the closed room, with the sound of crayon over paper; Demyx grinned in understanding, but whined a few more times for good measure.

_Breathe_

Namine drew in a breath, felt Kairi's—_her own_—heart beat, a rhythm she never heard Demyx play in its entirety before, but heard him _trying_ to all the time.

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**Author's Notes: **Comments and suggestions welcome and appreciated. 


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